I say this jokingly when I meet Rochesterians, but it’s mostly true: For me, Rochester is a big city.

I grew up in Elmira, N.Y., (population: 30,000) then attended St. Bonaventure University (average enrollment: 2,500 graduate and undergraduate students). Both were wonderful places to live and learn, and I don’t regret my experiences with either.

However, living in Rochester (population: 200,000+) the last month has been a unique yet exciting experience.

I was fortunate enough to find a job, where I’ve worked for over a month now. But finding a job is only the beginning. I’m experiencing new things about this city every day.

For example, so far I’ve tried about five or 10 locally owned restaurants, and I’m excited to have endless (at least it seems endless to me!) dining options within a 10- or 15-minute walking distance. I love being able to sit outside on a warm summer evening and enjoy a meal at Magnolia‘s or Jine’s!

I’ve attended a Rochester Young Professional event (a boat cruise on the Genesee River), where I got to see and learn a little more about the city.

Unfortunately, I haven’t gotten to explore a whole lot more than what I’ve mentioned, but maybe that’s what’s exciting: I still have so much more to experience as a newly minted Rochester resident.

In one courtroom in Brooklyn, there is a young lady crying in her mother’s bosom, awaiting her fate which lies in the stroke of a judge’s gavel on the eve of Mother’s Day. But in another courtroom, under the same roof, there are 60 men sharing a good laugh with a NYPD representative as they prepare for a 6 hour course that will clear them of their participation in an even graver criminal act.

Meet Nicole — a 15 year-old African American girl who was walking home to her East New York apartment when the L-train went out of service. As she walked down her normal route, one man drove up to her and offered her a ride home — she gets in. Little did she know that the man would take her all the way to Queens, lock her in his pad, anally rape her continuously and force her to have sex with roughly 20 men over the course of a few days.

When the NYPD found her, she was arrested. Whether by luck or by miracle, the judge spared her jail time and instead directed her to spend time at Girls Educational and Mentorship Services, or G.E.M.S, to help build herself back up. G.E.M.S, the only NGO that services sexually exploited youth in New York, provides mentorship, room and board for runaway teens, job and health counseling, GED programs and a sisterhood for the spiritual growth of sexually exploited females.

But in the next courtroom, the male consumers of her services were able to get off with an impersonal 6 hour course that merely told them not to do it again.
For the Johns who feel comfortable enough to crack jokes after they’ve participated in such a serious and heinous act, they are able to go back to their apartments and watch young black women continue to be exploited on the likes of BET. But for the Nicoles of New York, who average the age of twelve to fifteen, they have fell prey to ‘the life’ in complete oblivion of their true potential. Seventy to 90 percent of them have yet to recover from child sexual abuse and continue to grow up in an environment of perpetual domestic violence. They lack true love and prove to be vulnerable to professional manipulators, otherwise known as pimps.

“I didn’t really care. I felt like, it was cool for me to be 12 years old and a 29 year old dude to be in to me. I was like, that’s cool. I got it going on! I’m sexy.”

“He was like my dad. He held me like my father, laid with me and cuddled with me like he loved me.”

“I didn’t see him for 1 year, and it only took 6 hours on the phone with him for me to fall right back into the life.”

“It’s basically like we fell, and by us falling we fell into the life, like a different life, a different us.”
“I felt like at one point, this is his body. Whatever he felt like should go inside of it.”

Yesterday, G.E.M.S held a screening of the documentary “Black Girl Lost,” followed by a community discussion. While I have always recognized sex trafficking as a grave issue, seeing the faces and hearing the personal accounts evokes empathy like no other. Nothing made my jaw drop more than hearing every single girl recall how officers promised not to throw them in the slammer if she performed a sexual act on him, or the real life footage of a mom who reported to an officer that she had a tip on her daughter whereabouts and that a that male may be an armed and dangerous pimp, to which he replies “what you want me to do?”

As some of the victories for Gay Rights demonstrate, when the powers that be see the faces and hear the personal pain that individuals go through, they are more apt to act. Otherwise, I can’t see anything else stopping a John from going right back on Hunts point after his 6 hour course in the courtroom that merely requires him to bubble in and say the right words. We may try and look at other countries like the Philippines, Ukraine and Thailand and say “it’s worse over there,” but that is no excuse to undermine what is happening at your doorsteps.

As Cuomo continues to enjoy unprecedentedly high approval ratings for his budget prowess, everyone should ask ‘what cuts will hurt us the most’ and ‘what populations are the most vulnerable to any form of cuts.’ Sure, cutting across the board may sound fair on paper, but making cuts to Housing and Community Renewal will certainly have more of a direct impact on individuals than proportionate cuts to the Department of Environmental Conservation.

It’s a hot summer, even in Rochester, and there is a cold economy and a tight budget. With 200,000 young ladies and grown women who typically service 5 to 15 men a night on the late night strip and 9.2 percent of America struggling to find a job, one can only pray that the imminent time bomb will freeze at one. While GEMS is doing all that it can in its crusade against female exploitation and child trafficking, they only service 200 or so girls a year-that is merely scratching the surface of the estimated 2,200 exploited young ladies in New York City alone.

Currently, GEMS does not have any sister organizations in Rochester. In all honesty, I am not entirely familiar with the dynamics or status of human exploitation and sex trafficking in the old Genesee. But if the population is disregarded and under-served in NYC, I would imagine the upstate region hardly fairs any better, if not worse. To add to the dilemma, Cuomo’s 2011 – 2012 budget cuts $1.5 million, or 6.4%, from the Division of Human Rights and a whopping $167.6 million, or 4.3 percent decrease, from the Office of Family and Children Services.

Human trafficking is an urgent issue that needs to come to the forefront of community conversations. Unfortunately, it often takes 41 shots for our reactionary society to standup and demand answers. But as we speak, or type, there is a flow of young women taking the streets and/or getting snatched up and enslaved to a vicious lifestyle.

Action begins with education and awareness. I encourage those who are connected with schools, recreational centers, youth programs and religious institutions to purchase and screen “Black Girl Lost,” and to reach out to local non-profits that are dealing with the same issue; encourage your local libraries and educational institutions to order more copies of Keith Lee Johnson’s “Little Black Girls Lost” and Rachel Lloyd’s “Girls Like Use” and form study groups; get sororities, Black Students’ Unions, Students for a Democratic Society and other college groups involved in mentorship programs for at risk youth; text “GEMS” to 85944 to directly donate $10 to G.E.M.S services. “STRONGER: Redefining and Reinventing The Strong Black Woman Campaign and Conference Tour” kicks off in NYC next Spring, 2012 — identify individuals and organizations that have the energy, interest and resources to reach out to G.E.M.S and facilitate a similar campaign in Rochester.

What else can we do? What can men do? What can communities do? I am all eyes and ears.

I just wanted to thank all of those who have helped get the Rochester Young Professionals with Disabilities up and running. The first gathering of our group occurred and it was just a wonderful moment! A huge thank you to the Roc City Coalition for their support and helping me connect to get this blog and for passing the word along about this new yp group. Also to all my friends in the gimp community (you know who you are!) as well as my family and friends who are supporting this effort.

This is what makes the Roc great! The opportunities for philanthropy are numerous so if you’re wanting to, then get involved! Visit the Coalition’s website, or join a Rotary club or become a mentor to help with the Coalition’s mission or join habitat for humanity. There is something for everyone here and I hope that Rochester Young Professionals with Disabilities will be an inspiration for others. At the heart is collaboration and that the able bodied and people with disabilities can work together to make a difference. And it happened because a group of folks all had the same vision and worked hard to make it come to fruition. Catalysts, all of them!

So on behalf of Rochester Young Professionals with Disabilities thank you once again and I look forward to all the opportunities that will come.

In today’s NY Daily News, there was yet another article that condemns a politician for supposedly wasting “taxpayer dollars” and funneling it to a former supporter/friend. The infamous “pork” has always been a recurring taboo that politicians of all walks of their career are constantly tarred and feathered for by news publications. But this is hardly pork – local dollars are being used for local initiatives. Although, I’ll admit that I come from a sacrilegious school of thought where a little bit of pork can be good for the bones.

Even when I was younger, I was baffled when the media clattered over Mayor Rudy Giuliani convincing the national government to side with him when he shunned President Clinton for line-item vetoing New York City targeted pork; that was after my dad told me the difference between the pork in my Egg-McMuffin and the one in the papers. I thought to myself, if Giuliani was chosen to help improve the economic conditions in NYC, and an organization that he had close ties with was effectively doing so, then why weren’t his actions being lauded? But of course, at age 8, I didn’t articulate in that fashion; more like an incredulous eye-brow lift and the flicker of the remote to switchover to reruns of Scooby Doo on Cartoon Network on channel 63.

Fast-forward to today, I’m even more confused when I see self-righteous articles in the News that make a page-two ruckus over Brooklyn’s 42nd council district Councilman Charles Barron and his wife, Assemblywoman Inez Barron, allegedly funneling $350,000 of “taxpayer dollars” to campaign supporter Andre Mitchell, the president of ex-offender reentry program Man Up Inc.

First off, I wish the News weren’t so vague in their terminology. “Taxpayer dollars” can mean a number of things, including the discretionary funds that City Council distributes to its members. Secondly, what’s so bad about giving money to an organization that not only works effectively, but you also have personal ties to?

I have the pleasure of working with a close friend and co-Freedom Party member of Barron, King Downing, at the American Friends Service Committee. Downing and the AFSC fight to reinforce prisoner rights and reform reentry and rehabilitation strategies for the formerly incarcerated. As a politically active community member and highly regarded lawyer from Philadelphia, King has told me on numerous occasions how important it is to aid communities that are most vulnerable to the criminal justice system and law enforcement – a feat that Barron publically agreed with so much to the extent that he encouraged Downing to run for Attorney General of New York State in the past election.

Barron’s views are clear, the conditions that his constituency faces are obvious and easily observable and Mitchell is clearly taking on that cause. Not only is Man Up Inc. qualified and effective in their unique approach of using faith and hip hop culture to reach out to the inner-city, but they have even financially supported, at a minor level at that, Barron’s campaign. In return, the Barrons have financially supported, at a minor level as well, Man Up Inc.’s virtually identical campaign to uplift Brooklyn’s 42nd council district by improving reentry programs that would most benefit Barron’s constituency.

Then where is the issue?

If a politician gives money to his unqualified and unreformed ex-felon friend, sure, blow the whistle. But if he is giving money towards a project that is ran by a man whose character and ability has been tested, advocates for something that his constituency can most benefit from and has shown support to him in his endeavors, then what denies the politician the right to be human and rationally act by showing mutual support? It certainly isn’t pork. If it makes us feel any better, I propose a healthier term: almonds.

As a young professional and technically a member of Generation X I don’t generally feel that I have the same entitlement issues that some of my Generation Y counterparts have. That is until I look at the list of things I want… now.

I want the to-do list for my house to get done, rather than taking one thing off and adding two. I want to manage my time better so I don’t feel like time I take to relax is time spent away from getting something accomplished. I’d like to achieve some of my ‘someday’ dreams of traveling to Greece and back to Australia before the end of my 30′s. I’d practically kill to make this raging sunburn that I got over the weekend go away sooner, but that’s just not going to happen. I’d LOVE for the people who pull in front of me to drive faster (or at least go the speed limit), just saying. And most of all, I’d like to affect the change in the world that I think would make a serious difference, but some days it feels like I have almost no power to do so.

As a result, I write this blog as a call to other YPs who might be feeling as frustrated as I am. What do we do to change the world around us, or the perspective we have towards it, in order to stay happy, productive, sane and employed?

If patience is a virtue, I want that most of all. I actually think that that’s the key to all of this: managing expectations. I know that reading this you are thinking of the things you’d expedite in your life. What’s worse, I think that as a society we’re pushing for more to happen at a faster rate everyday, but does anyone else feel like it’s causing undue stress on us as individuals?

I recently read this article in the NY Times that talks about self-compassion and going easy on yourself. No, I’m not a new aged hippy (although I’ll peacefully respect you’re disagreement with that statement), but I do think it has some relevance. Being harder on yourself doesn’t necessarily make you be a better version of yourself. Do you give yourself the breaks that you afford others around you? Or do you try to hold those around you to your own standard, and is that a recipe for frustration?

With almost half (gasp!?) the summer gone (and another long, horrid Rochester winter ahead of us) I’m vowing today to try and see the glass as half full, each day as one full of potential, and to take it easy on myself for enjoying the ride as I go. As I understand it, you only get one ticket to ride this life and I don’t want to spend it being frustrated (or honking my horn like a lunatic, anymore). I’m going to try and manage my expectations, and be easy on myself. Anyone else willing to give it a shot?

You might say the book ‘Eat,Pray,Love’ inadvertently became the single woman’s travel bible.

Through the spring, summer and fall of 2006 I hadn’t even heard about the book. I was deep in the midst of cancer treatment. I visited the hospital once a week…and every two weeks was hooked up to a bag containing a toxic chemical cocktail. Traveling far away from the doctors working to save my life wasn’t an option. Yet, it didn’t stop me from dreaming of being somewhere else on those 4 hour drip sessions.

After six months of chemo and a 6 week daily radiation regimen, I was pronounced in “complete remission”. That very next week I got a letter in the mail. It was an invitation to the anniversary reunion of my study abroad program—in Oxford England.

At the time I opened this envelope, I was still sick, still zapped of energy…but that letter felt like hope. Tears streamed down my face as I thought about it. I could have thrown the envelope away, ridding myself of the pain of wanting something too tiresome and entirely too expensive to consider. Then that tricky little ‘what if’ entered my mind. It was six months away. I decided I was going to go. I HAD to go. It felt like the universe was telling me exactly what I needed to do to restore my spirit.

I bought the ticket…and went farther. I emptied out my savings and decided I was going to do that tour of Europe I’d always wanted to do. Life is short...and having my life back and my health back made that abundantly clear. Waiting until tomorrow seemed like a privilege I no longer had the patience or certainty to employ.

Carpe Diem.

That summer I saw 8 different countries in a whirlwind trip of a lifetime. Some of the trip was accomplished with a bus full of strangers–strangers who became my friends. Some of it was just me, a backpack full of travel books and bus and train fare.

I went to my reunion and strolled the courtyards in the colleges of Oxford- the ones I remembered so well in the healthiest summer of my college years. I traveled to the Yorkshire countryside to visit with my octogenarian cousins and heard stories about World War II that I’ll never hear on this side of the pond. I rode in a gondola, saw glorious views of the Alps, walked along the Champs-Élysées and drank beers and danced to oompah bands at the famous Hofbräuhaus.

I never regretted it as the euros passed through my hands and my savings drained out, not for a single second. Money could come again…this chance might not.

The point is this: after cancer, along with a new crop of hair I got something else back…me.
This trip was therapeutic, perhaps better than any drug.

PROST! with my traveling Russian friend Maria in Munich (2007)

The breathtaking views from atop the Swiss Alps (2007)

Sometimes planned recklessness is needed. My friend Val brought this phrase to my attention a few months ago. We all live in lives of routine. Routine is necessary for the most part. Yet there is something to the discovery of something new. Val too is a cancer survivor and she and I speak the same language. We talk often about how our travels have renewed us at points in our life when we thought we were ‘stuck’ or felt a true underlying sense of unrest.

This winter, the ‘envelope’ came in a different form. I had a scare. A lump was found in my neck. The fear returned. The panic was back. As all this drama unfolded I shared it with only a select few people in my life. I hid the ordeal from everyone else. So many things had been out of balance as this discovery was made, but thankfully everything was okay. Though the mass turned out to be benign, the fear of those weeks of testing and ceaseless worry were monumental. They shook up my life yet again.

Planned recklessness. I think Val has a phrase that puts to words what I believe. Sometimes we need to remove ourselves from our comfort zone. In times of fear, we sometimes tuck ourselves into pockets of safety. Those little places of safety sometimes deny us adventure or the magic of the unknown when opportunities come knocking.

My trip summer of 2007 gave something back to me. It gave me back confidence. That surely had been taken from me after a second bout with a little pesky bug called cancer.

And now I’m about to take another big trip.

I am leaving Rochester behind for the summer once again. In four days I’ll get into my car and take a couple days to drive out to Colorado. I’ll spend the summer working for a friend, helping him with his non-profit. I’ve also signed up for a week-long program where I’ll learn to whitewater kayak with other young adult cancer survivors. It’s a free program I’ve been wanting to do for years.

Sometimes you have to live when an opportunity is thrown your way. There are windows of time that come but once in a lifetime.

The adventures ahead will fill in the blanks. The places I’ll see, the people I’ll meet, will fill my head with stories.

Anyone who knows me well, knows that I am a voracious reader and that libraries are one my favorite places to go (a strong second to cupcake bakeries). The book I am currently reading is The Scandalous Gospel of Jesus by recently deceased Harvard minister Peter Gomes. The book looks at how people like the idea of Jesus in theory but have a much more difficult time actually following his example. When it comes to books I almost exclusively choose non-fiction. In reading a book I want to be enlightened, enraged, or empowered in some profound way. I am drawn to books about survivors and the obstacles they have overcome. The result of growing up in a Ukrainian family who survived a Nazi slave labor camp has had a significant impact on my life and on the types of books I read for pleasure.

But my love of books started long before I could even read. My parents would bring me to the library as a toddler and I would spend hours looking at picture books. I was always excited to bring home my “new” library books for the week. Once I was able to read I loved the Frances series about a lovable raccoon that would go on adventures and sometimes trouble would ensue. As a teenager, I read The Bluest Eye, by Toni Morrison, over and over again. This book about a girl who society made to feel ugly moved me to tears each and every time I read it.

There is something more magnificent and more democratic about libraries than any other institutions I can think of. Once you walk in the door of a library, issues of race, income, and occupation are temporarily suspended. No matter who you are you have access to the same information as everyone else. On the outside, I may have felt less than others but in the library I was always an equal. Recently, I was at the Central Library and saw teenagers using computers at the teen center, college students hurriedly studying, parents helping children select DVDs, and future entrepreneurs gathering information about how to start a business. Everyone is welcome at the library.

One of my favorite examples of this openness is Maplewood Library in the Northwest region of the City. Maplewood has one of the highest door counts and materials circulations of any of the City libraries. The neighborhood surrounding the library is diverse with some people who have lived in the neighborhood for decades and many newcomers from around the world. Maplewood is bustling with children and teenagers excited about all that the library has to offer. The majority of children at Maplewood have been in the country less than four years. This library goes beyond books to touch the lives of their families. Rochester Police Department Officer Len teaches Bike Safety during bike rodeos at the site. Having children, who come from refugee camps, interact with an officer who is kind to them has a long lasting impact on these children and their trust in authority. The Rochester Knitting Guild works with Maplewood to distribute 2,000 mittens and hats to children in need that are then paired with a book through the “Bundle up with a Book project.” Maplewood also conducts books drives in which 15,000 books have been given away to date. Consistently receptive, Maplewood staff realized that 8% of their population is between the ages of two and five. In response, they are starting a pre-school literacy program. They are also starting a beginning reading program for adults targeted to Americans and refugees.

One of the main reasons this library is so well placed and well loved in the Maplewood community is the staff. Shelley Matthews, the library director, has worked for the Rochester Public Library for twenty-five years and has a varied background in weaving, computers, literature and media. In talking about Maplewood, Shelley told me “I found my passion in life and I love my job serving the residents of Northwest Rochester.” Maplewood is Shelley’s passion in action. If you are looking for a place to give back to the community Maplewood Library is a great option. Shelley is looking for volunteers to help with: book drives, book bag and school supply collection, and a toy collection. She is also looking for adults who want to work with children and teens. If you are interested in volunteering you can contact Shelley at Shelley.Matthews@libraryweb.org

Want to take the first step in supporting your local library? Apply for a library card and use it!

July is my FAVORITE month – okay, maybe that has something to do with my birthday on the 19th. But there is SO much to do in Rochester in July, and the George Eastman House is no exception! Here is my list of the Top 10 things to check out this July:

The race begins and ends at George Eastman House.

#10. Sign Up for the Photo Finish 5K (a.k.a. The Philanthropy Challenge) – No list would be complete without mentioning GEH’s first race! The race isn’t until October, but you can sign up now and maximize fundraising for causes that are important to you. I am super psyched about this event in particular because its focus is on philanthropy, not running ability. If you’re not a great runner – who cares! (I like having no pressure.)

#9. Visit the “Cameras: Selections From George Eastman House” at the Vignelli Center at RIT – Okay so maybe I’m a little biased, since I’m an Imaging Science grad from RIT (not to be confused with photography… google it sometime) AND I work there currently, but this exhibit at the Vignelli Center is really cool and definitely a hidden treasure. Many people don’t realize that this new building on campus is free and open to the public, and houses several viewing galleries. I stumbled upon it last winter when coming in from the cold and was blown away (figuratively). RIT is very quiet this time of year, so park in F lot and stop in for a peaceful and stimulating visit. The friendly folks at the front desk are more than willing to help you find your way.

#8. Enroll your li’l ones in Photo Fun Camps for Kids – School’s. Out. For. SUMMER! …So now what do you do with your kids? There are a bunch of age-specific, hands on camps and activities at GEH this summer, which are so much FUN that I wonder what I can do to shed my YP status and make myself appear younger than 12. My personal faves would have to be “Darkroom to Digital” and “Digital Discovery”- sorry, is my Imaging Scientist showing again? These kinds of learning adventures are hard to find in schools, so what better way to expose your kids to the wonders of imaging and photography than with GEH’s summer camps!

#6. Tour the Eastman House Gardens. After your Upstairs/Downstairs Tour, enjoy lunch in the Eastman House Café (YUM) and then stick around for a tour of the gardens at 3PM. George Eastman took great pride in his gardens and flowers, and it still shows to this day. And what a gorgeous month July is for flowers! (Garden tours are offered throughout July: Tues.-Fri 11:30 AM; Saturday 11:30AM and 3PM; and Sunday 3PM.)

#3. Join Curator Ron Schick on Norman Rockwell: Behind the Camera (Thursday, July 28, 6PM)- Did you know that beginning in the late 1930′s, Norman Rockwell started using photography as a tool to bring his illustration ideas to life? Well I had no idea, so I am hoping to find out more from exhibition curator Ron Schick. On July 28, Schick will give an illustrated talk sharing his research that helped create the exhibition and offer insights into Rockwell’s working process.

#2. Hang out, dance, and imbibe at Garden Vibes 2011: Mambo Kings (July 7) and Boilermaker Jazz Band (July 21) – I mean, who doesn’t love partying on George Eastman’s lawn? There’s something here for everybody: live music, food, dancing, and even kids’ activities. Gates open at 5PM and you’ll want to make sure to be on time. Hunker down with a picnic blanket and a cooler filled with your favorite beverages (alcohol is permitted!). New this year, join us in the “V-YP” section! EYPs will have an exclusive section in the Eastman House gardens to hang out and enjoy the music. I’m especially looking forward to the Boilermaker Jazz Band – you may just catch me swingin’ and lindy hopping up by the band… Who am I kidding? Of course I’ll be up there dancing. RSVP on Facebook

And last but not least…. #1. Check out Back to Back to the 80′s at the Dryden – HOW EXCITED am I for this?! These are the films many of us YP’s grew up watching – though, in my case, I have only been able to experience them on VHS (and in some cases, Beta?!) tape since I would have been too little to take to the theater. I’m sure many of you can relate to my excitement of getting to see them up on the big screen! I am especially looking forward to Caddyshack, The Neverending Story (!!!) (Is the song stuck in your head now, too?), The Terminator, War Games (Matthew Broderick, swoon…), and Say Anything (John Cusack, also swoon…). Check out the Dryden Calendar for a complete list of movies in the series and their showtimes, though the July/August Films & Events publication that is free for members is the most helpful resource for this.

Psst – don’t forget to connect with EYP on Facebook at /EastmanYoungProfessionals !

Happy July, everyone, and I’ll see you at the GEH!

-Bethany

Bethany Choate is Senior Associate for Outreach and Communications for the Chester F. Carlson Center for Imaging Science at RIT, and serves on the EYP Media Committee.

Is it just me, or does Monroe Ave seem a little bit different these days?

Take a stroll down Monroe some weeknight, anywhere from Marshall Street Bar & Grill all the way up to Jeremiah’s Tavern. What you’ll likely find is Kickball League of Rochester players at almost every drinking establishment, enjoying a tasty beverage and laughing it up with friends. You can spot these animated amateur athletes by their team t-shirts, usually bright tie-dye or urban-camo, donning the signature Kickball League of Rochester logo.

Earlier this week I stopped in at O’Cal’s on my way home and happened to spark up a conversation with one of the several teams sponsored by said bar. Erica Tregea, Jim Marchigiano and Cory Mee, all Rochester-area natives, were celebrating with their team and others on the back patio.

I didn’t bother asking whether they won or not, as it seemed obvious that winning was largely irrelevant. More interesting to me, having contemplated putting together a team myself, was finding out what about kickball makes so popular. Erica responded “it’s all about getting to hang out with people you enjoy spending time with; having the opportunity every week to catch up with good friends.” That sounded about right to me. I thought of how perfect it must be to be able to blow off potential conflicts, and instead hang out with friends, using the excuse “we have a game tonight.”

These weekday warriors have brought a renewed energy (as well as much needed revenue) to the Monroe Ave area. Just five to ten years ago Monroe was primarily characterized by cheap drinks, a rather “gritty” ambiance, and more often than not a severely unhealthy guy-to-girl ratio. Now, except for there still being great drink deals, that is all changing for the better.

With the help of these Kickball League players (and perhaps also the efforts of Mr. McGuire, nice post Leah!) Monroe has finally established a distinct personality of its own. For years it has struggled in that regard, trying to fit in somewhere between the trendy Park Ave area and the quasi-hipster South Wedge. Monroe now seems to have found it’s niche as the neighborhood pub-style bar district with a touch of crazy.

The mutually beneficial relationship between the Kickball League of Rochester and the Monroe Avenue bars that sponsor so many teams has created a perfect atmosphere for getting together with friends. So next time you’re able to wrangle together a group of friends for a drink or two after work, I suggest you head downtown to Monroe; you won’t be disappointed!

The Rochester's Young Professionals blog is the place to look for the latest updates on the young professionals scene in Rochester, from career advice to networking events.

Contributors

Kate McGowan is a former Rochester television news reporter now working in the non-profit sector for the nation’s leading children’s charity, Make-A-Wish. She is passionate about inspiring young professionals to use their talents in becoming more actively involved in their communities. Follow her on Twitter at @KateMcGowan

Toni Lynn Arena: I am a digital media specialist by day and a fitness loving, animal activist by night. When I'm not working on self-improvement inside and out, I work with other philanthropists to build awareness within the young professional community and help make a difference.

Andrea Raethka earned a bachelor's in History, Sociology and Women's Studies from the College of Brockport. She is a mother of three young children and is always up for exploring new places for kiddie play dates. She enjoys good food, local shopping and keeping up to date on news, politics and public school issues. Find Andrea on Twitter: @Mango1531.

Ashley Dewey is an internet marketing blogger from Victor who shares thoughts about life and pets.

Audrey Burns is a reader, writer and full-time nostalgist who writes about cultural and social issues in Rochester.

Cynthia Pacia shares thoughts about giving and living in the Rochester area.

Eastman Young Professionals share the latest happenings at George Eastman House.

Habitat for Humanity Young Professionals share life and non-profit experiences, and their journey within Rochester’s changing landscape.

Jason Schwingle is a native of Rochester. He shares his thoughts and ideas on bringing young professionals back to Rochester and to downtown.

Jenna Kempie is the Social Media Chair for the Rochester Young Professionals, and is contributing posts on RYP activities and other helpful insights for young professionals in the community. Jenna enjoys getting out and exploring the area, and talking to people about their Rochester experiences, print and technology - on and offline. Follow Jenna on Twitter: @JennaKempie

Jennifer Galvez Caton is an active arts volunteer who shares her passion and perspective on theater, film, dance and music with young professionals in the Rochester area.

Jerome Nathaniel is a 2011 graduate of the University of Rochester, where he was an executive editor for the Campus Times and a service fellow with the Gandhi Institute for Nonviolence. Now, the Brooklyn native has returned to Rochester as an Americorp Vista at Foodlink, where he's serving as a hunger advocate.

Kayleigh Nutting is a non-profit professional that came to Rochester for college and never left. She is a graduate student and works full time planning special events and fundraising. Follow her as she writes about kicking back, giving back and appreciating the Flower City.

Kristine Caronna, a young professional blogger from Greece, shares her thoughts and updates.

Leah Shearer is a young professional and two-time cancer survivor from Rochester. She shares her unique perspective on all things - the serious, the silly and everything in between.

Luticha Doucette is a student researcher, activist and humanist who sees the world from a seated position. She chronicles life as a disable person seeking a PhD. position in biophysics at Yale or John Hopkins universities, and beyond.

Maria Thomas is the chair of RocCity Coalition, who is passionate about education and the needs of city youth. She writes about various opportunities for young professionals to get involved in the community.

Olga Podzorov is an agent with Nothnagle Realtors. She is a community activist and passionate philanthropist who is committed to working with young professionals. She covers a variety of real estate issues.

Ruth Harper-Rhode, a St. Bonaventure University graduate, does public relations for a local nonprofit. She moved to Rochester from a small city in 2011 and lived on Park Ave before moving to Penfield, where she currently resides.

Terra Keller sends updates from the staff at Foodlink, a popular regional food bank.

Stefanie Schwingle is a Rochester native and has worked at Wegmans Corporation for the past 10 years, but her interests lie in entrepreneurship and communication and her passions include urban living, photography, and cooking. Stefanie lives downtown with her husband and loves everyday life in the city.

Taren Greenidge earned her B.A. in Economics and Political Science, cum laude, in 2007 from Spelman College and her J.D. from Duke University School of Law in 2010. She is an associate at Littler Mendelson, P.C, a U.S.-based international law firm exclusively devoted to representing management in every aspect of labor and employment law. Taren is the president of the Black Young Professionals of Rochester, an auxiliary of the Urban League of Rochester, N.Y., Inc., which targets individuals ages 21 through 40 to foster growth and professional development, to empower members to achieve success and to strive to improve the community.